Process of drying hides.



VV. H. ALLEN.

PROCESS OF DRYING HIDBS.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.27. 1011.

1,@931 m Patented Nov.28, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

MWL MMM W. H. ALLEN.

PROCESS OF DRYING HIDES.

APELIcATIoN FILED 11.111. 27 1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

2 SHEET-SHBET 2.

PROCES 0F DRYNGt HIDEE.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known thatl ll, WILLIAM H. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, and ar residentof Detroit, county of Wayne, and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Process of Drying Hides, of which the following is a specification.

rllhis invention relates to a process for drying leather, hides and sheets of other fibrous materials, and its object is to provide a process whereby the material may be rapidly 'and quickly dried without shrinkage from the area at which the drying was be gun, and which process may be carried out without injuring the edges of the material by the use of securing pins or clamps.

.ln the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective of a supporting plate with a hide thereon, Fig. 2 is aplan of an intercellular material. Fig. 3 is a cross section of a supporting` plate, hide, blanket, intercellular separator and another supporting plate. Fig. 4 is a cross section of another form of supporting plate. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a chamber in which hides may be dried.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Leather, hides, papier-mch and other fibrous materials when wet, may be secured against polished plates and there permitted to dry, the result being a very smooth surface on the material. But unless prevented, these materials invariably shrink in area while drying. The usual means provided to successfully prevent this shrinkage are nails, tacks or clamps but it is unnecessary to employ these holding devices to secure the v fibrous material to the plate, for I have found 40 that when wet leather or hides are stretched on a smooth surface, a pressure against the leather or hide, equally distributed, is suf- Iicient to prevent it from shrinking on its support during the process of drying.

While a sheet of glass is probably the most efficient device upon which to dry leather, a smooth surface of metal, such as rolled or sheet iron, steel, aluminum or copper, may of wood such as is shown in Fig. 4, with a sheet of metal 9 of proper thickness tacked to the same, will be found to give the desired result. In some cases a thin sheet of aluminum, brass, or galvanized iron may be secured to the su porting plate as where iron would stam the I Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 27, 1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911..

Serial No. 617,092. .l

fibrous material. The plates may be copper plated if desired. f

The wet leather or hide l is stretched on the supporting plate 2 in the usual manner, grain side down, as shown in Fig. l, and is then covered with a porous blanket 3, of any desirable material such as wool, cotton or felt. Over this is placed a sheet of intercellular material, preferably of woven wire, which may be formed vof several thicknesses 4, 5 and 6, each of finer material and mesh than the other. The blanket should be so made as to leave no undesirable impressions on the surface of the leather, hide or other material on the plate 2, and the intercellular material should be so construct ed as to permit free passage of air or aqueous vapor between the second plate 7 and the blanket, while at the same time not causing any undesirable marking' of the material on the plate 2. A second plate 7 is laid on the intercellular material on the first, and the stacking is continued in the order mentioned until a stack of proper height is reached. y The upper plates of each stack may be clamped together in any de sired manner, the clamps 11 shown in Fig. 5 being well adapted for such purpose to engage the upper .plates 7 and other plates 2 below them to produce pressure on the materials between these plates, while the combined weight of these plates and the materials between them produces sufficient pressure on those below. The stack is then moved into a chamber which is then sealed, and in which a partial vacuum is theniattained land maintained. This causes a quick evaporation of the vapors in the leather, hides or other materials, drying them evenly and thoroughly. By reason of the porosity of the blankets, and the intercellular material between the blankets and the plates above, the water will vaporize evenly throughout the sheet, and because of the pressure, no contraction will occur. When dry, the leather will be as smooth as the surface against which it has rested, so that satisfactory stretching and drying are attained by the same process. The drying in a rareed atmosphere is practically necessary, as the time saved is of vital importance commer- The material which is termed intercellular may be formed in any desired manner, so long as the vapors from the wet hides,

Y leather,

leather or other fibrous material passing through the blanket may also pass freely through the intercellular material, not only transversely, but also longitudinallyin every direct-ion, even when under pressure. The result will be that when the stacked plates, blankets and intercellular materials are surrounded by rareed air or vapor, the moisture of the leather will evaporate .freely throughout the mass, the vapor tension b ein substantially equal throughout.

ile any desired construction may be ,employed for the chamber in which the hides are to be dried, that shown in Fig. 5 will be found suiicient. The ceiling 12', Hoor 13 and walls 14 and 15 are substantially air-tight. Any properly constructed air-pump 16 has its suction `pipe 1'( connected into the chamber. The door 18 should have a good tight lit into its casing. A sill 20 maybe properly sloped to permit the trucks 19 to be. easily-run into and out of the chamber. The construction of this chamber, however, forms no part of the present invention.

Having now explained my process what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is -1. The process of drying sheets of fibrous material which consists 1n stretching the same while wet on flat plates, covering each sheet with a. porous blanket, placing sheets of foraminous material on the blankets, and stacking theseumts upon-each other in a room and then rareying the atmosphere.

2. The process of drying leather which consists of st-retching the same while wet on a Hat plate, covering the leather with a porous blanket, and the blanket with a sheet of foraminous material compris different thicknesses of woven wire of. di erent degrees of iineness, the liner thickness being next to the blanket, and then rareying the surrounding air'and vapor.

3. The process of lea-ther which consists of stretch' the same while wet on a flat plate, covering the leather with a porous blanket and the blanket with a sheet of foraminous material, and a sure to thesame, thus prmittmg the aqueous vapors to pass out while the mass is under pressure.

In testimony whereof I have subscribed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

p WILLIAM H. ALLEN. Witnesses:

EDWARD N. PAGELSEN,

ELIZABETH M. Bnown.

pplying preSr 

